Physical therapy for the movement disorders in patients with brain injury

Xi LIU; Shengmin GUO; Qian YU

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

Physical therapy is an effective treatment for movement disorder caused by central nerve system injury, while incorrect rehabilitative method will exacerbate the movement disorders in patients.

OBJECTIVE:

To investigate the effect of physical therapy on movement and daily activity of the patients suffering from brain injury.

DESIGN:

Randomized controlled study based on patients with a confirmativediagnosis.

SETTING:

Rehabilitation department in a university hospital.

PARTICIPANTS:

From September 2001 to August 2002, 78 patients hospitalized in the Rehabilitation Department of the Hospital Affiliated to Luzhou Medical College, with hemiplegia caused by brain injury, were selected into this study. The patients with severe brain injury, severe understanding disability, and severe heart diseases, lung diseases and kidney diseases were excluded.

METHODS:

The eligible patients were divided into two groups the physical therapy group(48 patients) and the control group(30 patients) . All the patients in these two groups received medication and the hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), while the patients in the physical therapy group received an extra physical therapy.MAIN OUTCOMES

MEASURES:

A Fugl-Meyer assessment(FMA) and a modified barthel index(MBI) were adopted to evaluate the pre-and post-treatment statuses of the patients in these two groups.

RESULTS:

No significant difference in age, sex and disease course between the physical therapy group and the control group was found. In the physical therapy group, the FMA scale before and after the therapy were 40.43 ± 21.78 and 68.35 ±23.39, and the corresponding MBI scale were 32.82 ± 17.40 and 78.84 ± 25.31 respectively. In the control group,meanwhile, the FMA scales were 41.71 ± 19. 13 and 51.48 ± 22.58, and the MBI scales were 33.02 ± 12.48 and 56.65 ± 26.53. Before the therapy,comparison of FMA and MBI between the two groups showed no significant difference. While after the therapy, significant difference of FMA and MBI between the two groups could be confirmed( t = 2. 14, 2.21, P ＜ 0.05).

CONCLUSION:

Physical therapy could apparently enhance the rehabilitation of movement ability in patients with brain injury.